Boil Water Order - sections of Milford Road and Francis Street

Thu April 5, 2012

What happened?

On April 5, 2012, contractors were working on installing a new sewer main on Milford Road when they accidentally broke a water main. In order to repair the break, Saint John Water crews were required to isolate a section of the water main, temporarily leaving some residents without water.

The Department of Health has already been notified and a boil water order has been issued to residents from civic numbers 5 to 46 on Milford Road, as well as 5, 20, and 22 on Francis Street. Once the water main is returned to service, the water will not be considered potable until microbiological testing has been completed to the satisfaction of the Department of Health.

Affected residents have been hand delivered notices.

The micro-organisms may make you sick and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

What should you do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring water to a rolling boil, let it boil for at least one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, making ice, juice, coffee, tea or washing vegetables that will not be cooked. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

People whose immune system is compromised, such as the elderly, infants and people with transplanted organs, on dialysis, with HIV/AIDS, etc. should pay attention to the use of a safe source of drinking water. Water that has been properly boiled is considered a safe source.

It is safe for people to take showers, bathe and use swimming pools. It is also safe to wash dishes in hot, soapy water and then air dry. It is also safe to use a dishwasher.

The presence of these bacteria indicates that the water may be contaminated with organisms that can cause illness in humans. These organisms can cause diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Organisms in drinking water are not the only cause of the symptoms above. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

What is being done?

Saint John Water will remain in contact with the Department of Health. Two consecutive clean (negative) bacteriological samples collected a minimum of twenty four hours apart are necessary before the boil water order can be rescinded. This boil order is expected to last at least until early next week. We will inform residents when they no longer need to boil water.